


Tale As Old As Time

by emeraldsandstardust



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Drug Use, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Kidnapping, Mafia AU, Neglect, Romance, Stockholm Syndrome, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldsandstardust/pseuds/emeraldsandstardust
Summary: Original Imagine: Imagine Loki is a crime lord, a very dangerous man in the city. He is owed money, but the man is unable to pay Loki back, so Loki takes his daughter as payment instead.(Imagine found on the @imagine-loki page on tumblr)
Relationships: Loki (Marvel) & Reader, Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	1. Prologue

You are a 19 year old young woman, freshly in college, trying to work hard both education-wise, but also doing shifts as a waitress in a desperate attempt to help make extra money for you and your father. Your mother had divorced your father and left the country when you were only 10, and your father never truly got over the lost relationship. Your loving grandmother took care of you after the divorce, as your father would distance himself from you and leave the house for hours on end. Just last year, your grandmother passed due to old age, and so you were left truly alone. Your father's serious drinking problems came to light, and you knew you had to take full responsibility for yourself, as there was no one to take care of you now.  
In addition to his addiction, you also recently found out that your father had made acquaintance with a few less-than-decent people from what you could only describe as a huge mafia-esque gang present in the city. He had borrowed money from their loan sharks, a lot of money as it all totalled up in the end. He had been evading paying it back for as long as possible, making the interest rate climb higher and higher, and the debt he was due grow more and more. Eventually, well...

The boss only has so much patience.


	2. Part One

The alarm rang, piercing and loud as usual, and you groaned softly. Damn, you wished you could get a little extra sleep...   
Sitting up, you sigh and glance around the quiet room. It was an early Saturday, and you should be sleeping in and enjoying life, but you had promised you'd do an eight hour shift at the bistro you worked at. Hopefully, your manager wouldn't keep you behind after that...   
You clambered out of bed, hoping that maybe there was some of those honey buns you had bought left. Your father rarely bought groceries anymore, so you bought enough food for yourself, but when he came home late at night in a drunken stupor, he had a tendency to grab anything he could eat and eat it. 

Your father was a drunkard. He was a drunkard and an idiot and he was in heavy debt, which was why you were working. In desperate hope of saving money to ease his financial situation. You didn't know much about what he had borrowed the money for, and from exactly who, other than it was done illegally. You didn't want to know. As long as he could pay it off eventually, you didn't ever want to know.  
You had offered to drop out of college so that he could have it that much easier, but he blatantly refused. Even if he was a drunkard, your father was not cruel and he loved you. He never yelled or beat you, and he wanted the best for you. He wanted you to not end up like him and instead live a healthy life with a good-paying job that you loved. 

Speaking of your father... As you headed downstairs and into the kitchen, you heard him scuffling about, probably hungover and drinking once again; alcohol was the best and the worst cure for a hangover, he always joked. You never laughed.   
"Morning, dad." You mumbled sleepily, watching the man bustle about the kitchen in last night's clothes, still reeking of whiskey. He nodded at you.  
"Good morning, (Y/N). I made you coffee." He said. You smiled slightly and took the mug with a nod of thanks. He smiled a bit, running a hand through his messy hair.   
"I'm going to go shower." He said, and headed off to the bathroom.   
That was that, as much of a conversation as you two ever had. Perhaps you should work on it, but... A part of you was afraid of getting close to him. Afraid of what you may uncover about him. You sighed, sipping on your coffee quietly, and sat down at the kitchen island, gazing at the marble as you drank. You padded over and luckily, found a bun to eat and sat back down. You could hear the shower running from the upstairs bathroom, and sighed softly.

The morning went about as normally as it could, really. You showered after your father and got ready for work, while he got ready to 'go out'. You never questioned where 'out' was anymore, and instead just nodded and wished him a nice day. Your heard the door close behind him downstairs, and then lock, and you were alone once again.   
You adjusted your work uniform, a simple and unflattering black dress with flats, and brushed your (H/C) hair, making sure it was out of your face. You glanced up at the clock, realizing you still had fifteen minutes before you had to leave, and so decided to spend that time relaxing a bit in front of the TV downstairs.

You headed off down and sat on the couch, turning on the outdated TV you had, and beginning to look for something mildly interesting. Eventually, you found a cooking show and supposed you could watch a bit to pass the time.

It wasn't a whole five minutes later that you heard the doorbell ring. You frowned confusedly. Who was ringing on your door so early in the morning? It couldn't be the postman; no post on Sundays. It couldn't be your father either; he had his keys with him.  
You stood up, speeding up a bit as you heard the doorbell ring a second time now.   
"I'm coming, I'm coming."


	3. Part Two

You opened the door to come face to face-or rather face to chest, for he was quite tall, with a pale, green eyed, raven haired man, who's threatening and angry expression quickly faltered when he saw you. You were clearly not the person he was looking. You raised an eyebrow.

"Wrong house?"  
The man frowned, before glancing over at the number on your open door.  
"I am quite certain it is not, but you are certainly not who I am seeking." The man paused, biting his lip. You sighed softly. You realized the man had an English accent and a rather attractive voice, one to match his looks. He wore a stunningly tailored full black suit and he appeared fairly older than you. Perhaps in his early thirties or late twenties. Maybe even married.  
"This is the home of... Mr (L/N), is it not?"   
You felt your blood run a little cold. Your eyes widened. Anything to do with your father was not good.  
"Who's asking?" You asked slowly. 

The man, who had now realized that he wasn't at the wrong house, looked you up and down slowly, his thin lips curving in the smallest predatory smirk.  
"Mr Laufeyson." He replied simply.  
You sighed quietly. "He's my father." You said quietly. "But he's not home right now."  
Mr Laufeyson raised an eyebrow. "Is he not?" He queried. "Then where may I find him?"  
"Why do you need to find him?" You asked, your worry growing. You had a feeling this man wasn't there to help your father.  
"That is business which does not involve you." He paused. "Yet. Where is he?"  
You bit your lip, glancing down. "I don't know." You said softly. It was true, you had no idea where he ran off to. But you were also aware of how much you sounded like you were trying to cover for him.  
Mr Laufeyson's frown deepened, before he sighed. "May I come in?" He asked.   
You felt yourself beginning to panic. It was never a good idea to let strangers into your home, even less when that stranger had business with your alcoholic father. You shook your head quickly. The dark haired man hummed.  
"My apologies." He said, and for a moment you thought he would leave. But then he continued. "I should rephrase. You clearly think you have a say in the matter. Let me in."   
Your eyes widened and your heartrate spiked. You followed your instincts and tried to slam the door shut, but he was one step ahead of you. Quite literally. His foot jammed the door and stopped it from closing, and then he pushed the door wide open once more, his strength overpowering yours. He stepped inside and closed the door behind you both, ignoring your terrified expression. He turned to you.  
"Now, dear. We can do this one of two ways. You can either show me around each room and prove that your pretty lips aren't just there to lie, or you can misbehave and get hurt. I don't want option two was much as you, but if you give me no other choice..." 

You stared, trying to calm your racing heart with a kind of desperation you hadn't ever felt. You swallowed thickly, before gesturing around you.  
"Go look." You choke out.  
And he does. He searches your house, and then he comes back to you, a hint of annoyance in his eyes, his lips drawn tight. You try not to flinch. This is probably where you get shot in the head.   
Instead, you feel a cool-to-the-touch hand take your own in a rather surprisingly gentle gesture, and then Loki kissed the back of your hand. You stared up at him, completely bewildered by his sudden gesture.

"My many apologies, dear." He says. "I falsely accused you of being a liar. He really is not here." He sighed, letting go of your hand. "Well, allow me to explain what's been happening as of late."   
You nodded slowly, a quiet sigh escaping your lips. This would make you late for work, but whatever, it was probably more important. You could probably lie and say you were feeling ill.  
Mr Laufeyson continued.  
"Your father went to one of my men, effectively me, just indirectly, and borrowed a large sum of cash." He explained. "He never told us why, but my men never ask anyway."

You stared. You knew why. You didn't even have to ask your father, you remembered. A couple months back, times were a lot more rough than even now. You hadn't found a job yet, so he was the only source of income to the household. Your electric bill and water bills were overdue, along with your rent. You were both risking homelessness. You remember then, being sat there on the couch beside him quietly, curled up in a blanket and watching the rain patter against the window. Your father had stood up abruptly and left the house. You didn't ask, nor did you go after him, you expected that he just couldn't take the stress and went to the pub again, but no. He returned around an hour later, and pulled a large wad of cash from his bag. He refused to explain where he had got it from, so all you knew was that by that time next week, the electricity and hot water were back, and your rent was paid.

You looked up at Mr Laufeyson, before your eyes went wide and a sob pulled your throat.  
"He needed it. We were gonna be homeless if he didn't. You can't hurt him, please. Please, I know he means well, but we don't have a lot-"  
You were cut off by the soft, velvety tone.   
"Dove, this is not your concern. Where is your mother, go find her and stay with her-"  
"My mother is dead!" You suddenly yelled, making the man pause. "She's dead, and so is my Grandma, and Dad is the only family I have left! You can't do this, you can't!"  
"Miss (L/N), I'm afraid you have little choice in the matter. Very little, actually. Now, excuse me while I go find-"  
"I'll call the police! I-I'll report you to the police!" You cried desperately. Mr Laufeyson raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk on his lips.   
"Naive child. The police do not dare cross me. Nobody does. Now get out of the way." His tone turned more sinister, but you weren't about to give up, despite the pounding of your heart and the adrenaline and fear coursing through you.  
"Even if you manage to find him, even if you kill him, what's that going to give you?" You snapped. "Petty satisfaction? I thought grown men were above that. We can't pay you back right now, but if you give us time, I can start to pay you by around $80 a month until it's all-"  
Mr Laufeyson laughed sharply. "80 a month? 80?! Girl, it will take you years to pay me back by 80 a month, and interest fees rise by the day! You will be stuck paying me for life if you attempt $80 a month!" 

You slumped, close to tears now. Your gaze could burn holes into the man's leather shoes, and you racked your brain desperately for a solution. Mr Laufeyson sighed, looking over you. He stepped closer toward you and gently took your chin in his thumb and forefinger, looking down at you with a small observational frown.  
"Stubborn little dove. You aren't going to give up, are you?" He murmured.   
You looked up at him, swallowing thickly. Handsome though he was, you had to remind yourself of what he really wanted. Money.  
You shook your head in reply. Mr Laufeyson sighed and let go of you, stepping back once more.   
"Alright then. I suppose I'll have to make do. Since your father cannot repay his debt to me with money..." He took your hand and kissed the back of it in an almost gentlemanly gesture.   
"... Then he can repay me with the hand, and the rest, of his lovely daughter."  
Your eyes widened in horror and you tried to pull away from him suddenly, fear coursing through you like never before. Unfortunately, you weren't as strong as his deceptively slim frame.  
Before you realized it, you were being pulled into his firm chest, a forceful arm around your waist. Then there was a blow to your head.

Everything was black and blurry.


	4. Part Three

When you woke up, the first thing you realised was how groggy and tired you were. Then you realized that it was bright out, and the light was making your already pounding head go fuzzy. A soft groan left your lips and you struggled with your own body for a while, trying to open your eyes. It took a couple attempts, but finally you could look around.

A sudden fear hit you when you realized you were not at home anymore. 

You were in a large bedroom instead, and it looked like the sort of thing you'd see in a celebrity's condo. Not something a girl from a low-income background would wake up to. You frowned, wincing as your headache sent an unpleasant shudder down your spine. At least the bed was big and comfortable. You stared up at the ceiling for a while, and slowly recalled to yourself everything that had happened to lead up to this. Mr Laufeyson, and your father, and the debt... 

"... Then he can repay me with the hand, and the rest, of his lovely daughter..."

The words echoed through your head, your frown deepening. Did he mean to marry you? But... why? What did you have to offer to him in marriage? Besides, you weren't at all sure how willing to do that you were. But you doubted, after being kidnapped, that he would care.   
He was an incredibly attractive man, yes, and he had a voice was like liquid sex, however you deemed his morals to be rather questionable, and that disturbed you.

You were brought out of your thoughts by an unfamiliar voice from across the room.  
"Welcome back, Miss (L/N)."   
You jolted up, having not realized there was someone in the room with you, and met eyes with a woman, tall and thin with long raven black hair and green eyes. She looked like she had to related to that man, to Mr Laufeyson. They could be twins for all you knew. She had pale skin and a slightly sunken, but no less mysteriously beautiful face. She wore a black dress that reached just above her knees and a smirk on her red painted lips.  
You swallowed thickly, pulling the silky sheets off your body and standing up. You were in the same clothes you last remember being, so that was at least one positive.  
"W-Who are you?" You asked quietly, eyes skitting over the room. You were carefully calculating whether or not you would be able to make it to the door before she got to you, but it seemed the mysterious woman was one step ahead of you.  
"There are two soldiers stood outside your door right now, I wouldn't advise you to try anything if you like your leg bones the way they are." She said casually.  
You feel yourself freeze up, a surge of panic causing a slight light-headedness. You'd been found out before you could even try anything. The woman continued.  
"As to who I am, I am Miss Hela Odinson. I'm the Underboss to Mr Laufeyson." She explained, pacing slowly around the room, looking over a bookshelf with mild disinterest. "He is our Boss, or as a few more traditional members of our little... family... call him, the Don." Her piercing gaze turned to you. "And you, lucky little girl, have been spared from our Don's wrath now pointed toward your father." She gave you a tight-lipped smile, as though she was trying and failing to hide her displeasure with you. You gawked, trying your utmost to process any of this.

"B-But I don't- I -I... I wanna go back to my father, please... You can't do this to him..."  
Hela shrugged. "I take orders from Loki, not you." She replied. "Your father is in some deep trouble with him, and the only reason that he will stay alive is because from what I gather, you seem to have struck a little chord of Loki's, and appealed to his more human side. Congratulations. I haven't seen that happen in a very long time."  
You glanced down at your feet. What did it matter if Loki sympathetized with you, if he didn't let you stay with your father and kidnapped you instead?  
"W-Why did Loki take me?" You asked quietly.  
"Payment." Hela replied simply, looking you up and down. "I suppose a young brat like you could be useful... But I really don't know what he ultimately has planned for you. I was simply sent here to make sure you didn't run off."  
You nodded, sitting down on the edge of your bed. You felt so incredibly vulnerable, so helpless... What was Loki going to do with you? What did he have planned?  
"A-Are you... Are you like, his daughter or something? You look a lot like him."   
Hela gave a little groan and rolled her eyes, placing a pale hand on her hip.  
"I suppose I should be taking it as a compliment that you would assume I am young enough to be his daughter, but no." She replied. "I am, by a technicality, Loki's sister."  
"Why a technicality?" You asked curiously. Hela rolled her eyes. "As if I would waste time explaining to you." She replied dully. "I am simply here to tell you that you ought to stay quiet, change into the outfit in your wardrobe, and wait for your...chaperone to take you down."  
"D-Down... Down where?"  
Hela's lips curved up into a slightly bitter smile. "What's the fun in telling you?" She drawled, heading for the door. "Until we meet again, outsider."

You watched as the pale woman left the room, giving you a glimpse of the two men stood out guarding it. You swallowed, hearing the door click shut. So much had happened... So much...

You felt your knees buckle underneath you, and you fell back onto the edge of the bed, biting your lip before the tears started falling. You just wanted everything back to the way it was, as dull and hopeless as it seemed in the moment. You wanted to be home, you wanted to happy, and you wanted nothing to do with this.... mafia.

But when does life ever give you what you want?


	5. Part Four

It was another hour before anyone else came in to your room. You knew this because of the clock on the wall, which also displayed that it was currently 7pm. 

The door suddenly swung open, and in walked a man dressed in a simple suit with no jacket. He looked you over, before letting out a noncommittal grunt and nodding for the door. Silently, you obeyed, walking off with him. Now headed down the hall, you looked around to observe your surroundings. A large mansion, it seemed. That meant, most likely, in the middle of no where. No help for miles. Great.

But maybe, if there was a forest nearby... 

You were brought out out your thoughts by a familiar voice. You looked around. Now you were in a dining room, large and open. There was a pair of glass sliding doors to your left, leading out onto a patio. There was a crystal chandelier. The walls a deep green. Carpet white. Large, mahogany dining table. Just this room definitely cost more than your lifetime savings. 

Mr Laufeyson- no, Loki... was sat at the dining table, frowning at you. You realised he'd been speaking to you. 

"P-Pardon?" You asked, blank.

Loki narrowed his eyes in further annoyance. 

"I said, why aren't you wearing the dress I gave you?" He repeated. You blinked dumbly, before looking down at yourself. 

"D-Dress...?" You parroted hoarsely. Oh, right. The dress. In all honesty, you had forgotten. So much had happened that you were still processing, a dress was the last thing on your mind.

"Oh, for the love of-... yes, the dress." Loki snapped irritably. "You're in your work clothes, they look awful on you."

You frowned, a little hurt, but Loki sighed and continued.

"I didn't mean that you looked awful, silly girl. Though clearly, you have seen better days. I meant the work clothes. They do not look good on you. Though I doubt these horrid things could flatter any body type." He sighed, standing. "Come, let me treat you a little. The food will be delivered to your room." He nodded at a nearby servant and began leading you off, back the way you came.

You were quiet for a long while, musing his words, before eventually you spoke up. 

"Am I just supposed to be some eye candy, then?" You murmur. Loki paused, before looking down at you with a frown.

"Do you not want to look nice? Be treated like a princess? I can give you that." He replied, not answering your question. Your frown deepened and you looked down at him.

"Why am I here?" You asked. "Why am I not dead?"

"You are a payment." Loki repeated. "Why would I kill you if you are a payment?"

"What about my father? Is he dead?"

"Your father is not dead. But he is not safe, either."

Your stomach churned. You closed your eyes, pushing the tears back. When you opened them, Loki was looking down at you, his brows furrowed. He had lovely eyes. Too lovely.

The pale man opened the door for you, and you stepped back into your room. Not your room. The room you were staying in. Actually, no. The prison you were staying in.

You looked around, sighing. Loki followed you in. 

"Who are you?" You asked eventually. "Who are you, really?"

Loki closed the door, looking at you over his shoulder. He frowned. His shoulders slumped just slightly at the sight of your determined stubbornness. He sighed, made his way over to the plush loveseat, and gestured for you to sit beside him. You hesitated visibly, but then after a couple moments, you did. He looked down at you, expression heavy.

"I am not a good man." He said gravely. You scoffed. 

"Really? The loan-sharking and kidnapping and death threats to my father really gave me no clue." You snapped quietly. Loki's frown deepened, and he leaned back against the seat.

"I suppose that was a weak way to start." He mused. "Alright, fine, I am Loki Laufeyson. I am the leader, or Don, as some call me, of a gang, a mafia. Age old, was led by my... father, Laufey, before me. We do all sorts of business. Pretty much anything, really. And yes, loan-sharking. What can I say, it's easy money. I don't regret it. I don't think I ever will. Neither do I regret taking you, little dove."

You stared up at him, visibly shuddering.

"You're disgusting." The words escape you before you can stop them, but it's not like you don't mean them. You do. 

Loki's expression twists, but then he hides whatever he was feeling with a chuckle.

"Yes, I suppose I would do."

"Were you always involved in the mafia?" You ask suddenly. Loki tilted his head, looking down at you. The look in his eyes tells no, that a long time ago, this man was innocent and sweet and naive, that something twisted him and changed him. 

"That is a story for another day, dove." He says, standing up. "I will run you a bath, alright? Stay here." He smirks slightly, knowing it was a mockery. You had no choice but to stay.

You watched as Loki slipped off his jacket and put it down beside you, rolled up his shirt sleeves and headed off to the en suite bathroom.

While he was gone, you imagined Loki as a younger man. Would his features be less chiselled, more rounded and boyish? His eyes would be, definitely. Soft, big blue-green orbs. Gentle and kind. Maybe his lips would have been different too. Instead of a smile like a blade, sharp and malicious, he would smile out of genuine joy. A sigh escaped you. You wish he was like that now. What had changed? There was no way he was always doomed for a life as a criminal. 

Your gaze shifted to Loki's jacket, that he had left beside you. You wondered if there was anything in it, anything useful. A little nervous, you reached forward and lifted it, looking down at the black material. Expensive, definitely custom-made. A multitude of inner pockets, too. You reached into one, a large one. A little breath escaped you as you felt something cold and metal against your fingers. Could it be? You didn't let yourself hope. 

You pulled it out, your breath leaving your lungs. A switchblade. He'd been dumb enough to leave you with a switchblade. You swallowed dryly, flicking the sharp blade open. At the sight of it gleaming in the white light of the room, you felt a surge of power. It had to be at least 4 inches long, sharpened to perfection, a beautiful, glossy obsidian black handle. You had it. A little ticket out of here. 

Giddy on relief and drunk on freely offered freedom, you abandoned all rationality and instead, smiled widely when you heard Loki's voice behind you. So smooth and velvety. 

You wanted to rip out his voicebox with this knife.

"Dove, put it down. Don't. Don't test me, this isn't worth it."

You stood slowly, turning to face him. You pressed the tip of the blade to your fingertip, feeling it nick the delicate skin. So sharp. So much potential. Your smile widened, and you looked up at him. 

"(Y/N), put it back." 

"I want to slit your throat." You replied quietly.

Loki's eyes widened.


	6. Part Five

"I want to slit your throat."

Loki's eyes widened. He looked you up and down, silent for a few moments, then he started laughing. It was a slow, breathy, mocking laugh and it made you falter. Loki sighed, shaking his head.

"Truly, you are an amusement. Now be a good girl, put the knife down." 

You stared. Then you scoffed quietly.

"Yes, Daddy. Of course, Daddy." You mocked in a high pitched tone, making Loki's expression of amusement drop. 

"(Y/N), I am not joking around. Do as I say, or get hurt." He warned you.

Of course you didn't listen. Of course, you just kept on going. Ran at him with the knife held tightly in your hands. Angry and upset at your lost freedom, angry that this man believed you to be a plaything. 

Loki didn't falter when you lunged at him. He only sighed in disappointment, grabbing your wrist before wrenching the knife out of your hands, not even letting you attempt to fight back. A sob escaped you suddenly, when all that power, the longed-for freedom was once again ripped away. Loki stared down at you with furious, cold eyes. They seemed more blue now.

"Enjoy your bath." He said, tone almost a snarl. Grabbing the knife and his jacket, he headed out the door. You winced when you heard it slam, and then the soft click of a lock shutting followed it. 

You were alone to your thoughts once again. 

\-----

Multiple days passed you by lonely solitude. It was long. You had nearly nothing to do. By day, you would sit and gaze out the locked window, eat the food that was delivered to your door, occasionally you would read from the small bookshelf that was hanging on your shelf. It dragged on, and on. After a while, you began thinking that you'd never leave this room again. The thought was rather terrifying, and had led to more than a couple nights in which your pillowcase was dampened with tears.

Then, after what had seemed like an eternity, he visited you again. Your hatred for Loki had only grown, but upon seeing his exhausted blue-green eyes and dark, sleepless smudges beneath them, you couldn't help but soften your angry demeanor. He was wearing a different suit, you noticed. Same colours, slightly different design. Loki closed the door behind him and locked it, sighing. He was the first to speak.

"I apologize, my dove, I had meant to visit you a few days ago, but..." He trailed off, clearing his throat. "... Well, I must admit, your father is giving us a hard time. Without you to take care of, he is suddenly very... elusive." His brows furrowed. "The search continues, I suppose."

Your breath escaped your lips in a sigh of relief. The best possible news. He was in hiding, and that meant he was still alive and well and safe. That was good.

"Thank goodness." You mumbled, smiling just slightly.

Loki stared at you with a frown.

"Might you have any idea as to where he is, (Y/N)?" He asked suddenly.

You shook your head, eyes wide. "No."

Loki looked over you and sighed. "I didn't think so." He muttered, shrugging.

You sighed softly. Loki looked over you, and you could tell he was still suspicious. But he was good at hiding those emotions. You frowned.

"Loki, perhaps you...could you let me go outside?" You asked quietly. The room was so lonely and trapping. You needed to see a different surrounding. Maybe that would distract him from the matter at hand, too. Loki's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you mean, outside?" He asked. You bit your lip.

"Well, this place has to have some gardens, right? Could you not please take me there? I just-... the room is getting hard to live in all the time."

Loki stared at you silently, though he did seem to be debating on the matter. You stayed in your hopeful silence. Eventually, the man spoke.

"You know I shouldn't." 

You slumped a little, downcast. But he continued.

"...But I will entertain your request. Just this once." His eyes narrowed suddenly. "Let it be known, however, that if you dare pull another stunt like what you did with the knife again, you will never leave this room." He warned you. You nodded quickly , and Loki's angry expression faded. "Good. Put on some shoes, I will take you on a walk through the flower garden." He announced, standing up. 

You hurried to find a pair of shoes and put them on, like a happy little pet being taken out on a walk. Loki watched you, his gaze unwavering. Once you were ready, he led you off, out of the room and down the hallway.

You walked in silence, and eventually you reached a pair of double doors that Loki opened, letting you walk through first. You smiled slightly at the gesture, temporarily forgetting yourself and your situation as you saw the biggest, most beautiful flower garden you had ever seen in your life. Your smile grew and you rushed forward into the open air, looking around with a gasp.

"Oh, this place is beautiful."

"Indeed it is." Loki replies, and you smile wider. You turn to look at a rosebush, eyeing the delicate, perfectly bloomed petals.

"I love it." You say softly. You feel Loki's presence walk up behind you, and he clears his throat. You turn to look at him questioningly. The man simply smirks, and gestures for you to follow him. Straightening up, you do so, your gaze curious. 

Loki leads you past a couple hedges and eventually, you reach a small alcove. It was truly a beautiful sight, especially after so long in that damned room. It was surrounded by tall bushes, and there was a cherry blossom tree toward the middle of the area, casting a shade among the rest of it.

"Wow." You murmur, heading further in. You look around, and can do nothing else in your state of awe than repeat, "...wow." 

Loki chuckles and follows you in, watching you sit down under the tree, on the grass. He, tentatively, sits down beside you, and you raise a brow. He shrugs.

"Can't leave you alone, can I?" 

You sigh softly. "I suppose not." You look down at your lap, furrowing your brows. 

"Is this really it? Are you just gonna keep me here forever?" You ask quietly. Loki doesn't respond, gazing down at you. He looks away.

"It is hard to tell what the future holds, dove." He eventually replies. You snort. 

"You can't be serious, right? You put me here, you can take me out. Why would you act like it's destiny or something dumb like that?"

Once again, Loki seemed to offer no true answer, instead responding with a sigh. 

"It's not that simple, dove." He replied. "I have many, many people working under me. It's a lot of pressure, and many of those people would simply revolt if I decided to free you for the sake of it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

You thought over his words, frowning. 

"And do you want to?" You eventually asked. Loki laughed humourlessly.

"What I want does not matter, dove." He replied. 

"But if you had the choice? Hypothetically? Would you?"

Loki turned to look you in the eye, and you felt a shiver run down your spine at how intense his gaze was. How beautifully captivating.

"Hypothetically, I would want you to be happy, but I would also want to keep you to myself. I am a selfish bastard of a man, and you are a beautiful, gentle creature, luring me in."

Oh. 

"....I see." You mumble, a mix of concerned and...flattered. He found you beautiful. 

"You look afraid." Loki commented, frowning. Something in his eyes was almost melancholic, now.

"I-I dunno." You sighed shakily. "I guess it wasn't the answer I expected to get." 

The corners of Loki's lips curl up in a smile, though it lacked humour. 

"What answer did you expect to get, dove?" He asked. You bit your lip, looking up at the cherry blossom tree.

"Something more along the lines of," you did an impression of Loki, mimicking his accent, "You are but a simple pawn in my game. Do as you are told, dove."

Loki stared at you, before he suddenly burst into laughter. You blinked, in shock, and then giggled along with him.

"I don't speak like that!" Loki snickered. You grinned back at him. 

"Oh, you so do. Don't question my skills in impressions!" You smiled. Loki rolled his eyes, though it was a playful gesture. 

"All I'm saying is that the accent was more Australian than British." He replied. You laugh to that, temporarily forgetting yourself and your situation in this alcove. You were about to make another joke when the phone in Loki's pocket went off, ringing. He frowned. 

"Sorry, darling. One moment." 

You nod, watching him reach into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out his phone. He takes a look at the caller ID, holding the device so that you have no sight of the screen. You watch Loki's brows furrow and he stands up suddenly, brushing himself off. 

"You wait in here, I have to take this. Don't try and run off, I have men guarding the fence around the building at every angle." He warns, and rushes off.

You blink, all of a sudden painfully reminded of your situation. You watch Loki disappear out of sight, smile falling, laughter lost.


End file.
